Things to do after installing Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver

I should mention that the list of things to do after installing Ubuntu 18.04 depends a lot on you and your interests and needs. If you are a programmer, you’ll focus on installing programming tools. If you are a graphic designer, you’ll focus on installing graphics tools.

Still, there are a few things that should be applicable to most Ubuntu users. This list is composed of those things plus a few of my of my favorites.

Also, this list is for the default GNOME desktop. If you are using some other flavor like Kubuntu, Lubuntu etc then the GNOME-specific stuff won’t be applicable to your system.

You don’t have to follow each and every point on the list blindly. You should see if the recommended action suits your requirements or not.

With that said, let’s get started with this list of things to do after installing Ubuntu 18.04.

Under the Ubuntu Software tab, make sure you have checked all of the Main, Universe, Restricted and Multiverse repository checked.

Now move to the Other Software tab, check the option of Canonical Partners.

You’ll have to enter your password in order to update the software sources. Once it completes, you’ll find more applications to install in the Software Center.

3. Explore the GNOME desktop

Ubuntu 18.04 comes with a customized GNOME desktop that has features from both GNOME and Unity. This could be baffling to you in the beginning.

But spend a couple of minutes exploring Ubuntu 18.04 GNOME and you would be comfortable in no time. In fact, Ubuntu 18.04 provides a quick glance about ‘where is what’ in the welcome screen.

Ubuntu 18.04 welcome screen

I highly recommend reading this article on GNOME customization in Ubuntu so that you can know the GNOME desktop in detail. You would know how to use GNOME, how to make some simple and yet useful tweaks to your system.

You can do a few visual changes from the System Settings. You can change the wallpaper of the desktop and the lock screen, you can change the position of the dock (launcher on the left side), change power settings, Bluetooth etc. In short, you can find many settings that you can change as per your need.

Change dock position

4. Install media codecs

In order to play media files like MP#, MPEG4, AVI etc, you’ll need to install media codecs. Ubuntu has them in their repository but doesn’t install it by default because of copyright issues in various countries.

As an individual, you can install these media codecs easily using the Ubuntu Restricted Extra package. Click on the link below to install it from the Software Center.

Install Ubuntu Restricted Extras

Or alternatively, use the command below to install it:

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras

5. Install software from the Software Center

Now that you have setup the repositories and installed the codecs, it is time to get software. If you are absolutely new to Ubuntu, please follow this guide to installing software in Ubuntu.

There are several ways to install software. The most convenient way is to use the Software Center that has thousands of software available in various categories. You can install them in a few clicks from the software center.

It depends on you what kind of software you would like to install. I’ll suggest some of my favorites here.

7. Use Flatpak in Ubuntu 18.04 to get access to more applications

Ubuntu 18.04 supports Flatpak by default. However, with a few tweaks, you can get Flatpak applications directly in Ubuntu Software Center. This will enable you to easily install additional applications like Viber etc which you won’t find in the default Ubuntu Software Center.

First, check if Flatpak support is enabled or not (minimal install option don’t have Flatpak:

sudo apt install flatpak

And then, install the Flatpak plugin for GNOME Software Center.

sudo apt install gnome-software-plugin-flatpak

The last thing would be to add the Flathub repository that will give you access to all the applications available on Flathub website.

The only downside is that you’ll see multiple applications in Ubuntu software center. Flatpak applications are tagged with source dl.flathub.org and thus you can easily distinguish them.

8. Opt out of data collection in Ubuntu 18.04 (optional)

Ubuntu 18.04 collects some harmless statistics about your system hardware and your system installation preference. It also collects crash reports.

You’ll be given the option to not send this data to Ubuntu servers when you log in to Ubuntu 18.04 for the first time.

If you miss it that time, you can disable it by going to System Settings -> Privacy and then set the Problem Reporting to Manual.

9. Change the look of your desktop with new themes and icons

Ubuntu Communitheme

Changing themes and icons are the major way to change the looks of your system. I advise going through the list of best GNOME themes and icons for Ubuntu. Once you have found the theme and icon of your choice, you can use them with GNOME Tweaks tool.

You can install GNOME Tweaks via the Software Center or you can use the command below to install it:

10. Extend the usability of GNOME desktop with GNOME extensions

You should also have a look at use GNOME extensions to further enhance the looks and capabilities of your system. I made this video about using GNOME extensions in 17.10 and you can follow the same for Ubuntu 18.04.

12. Save your eyes with Nightlight

GNOME provides a built-in Night Light option, which you can activate in the System Settings.

Just go to System Settings-> Devices-> Displays and turn on the Night Light option.

13. Disable automatic suspend for laptops

Ubuntu 18.04 comes with a new automatic suspend feature for laptops. If the system is running on battery and is inactive for 20 minutes, it will go in suspend mode.

I understand that the intention is to save battery life but it is an inconvenience as well. You can’t keep the power plugged in all the time because it’s not good for the battery life. And you may need the system to be running even when you are not using it.

Thankfully, you can change this behavior. Go to System Settings -> Power. Under Suspend & Power Button section, either turn off the Automatic Suspend option or extend its time period.

14. System cleaning

Normally, you can use this little command to free up space from your system:

sudo apt autoremove

It’s a good idea to run this command every once a while. If you don’t like the command line, you can use a GUI tool like Stacer or Bleach Bit.

15. Going back to Unity or Vanilla GNOME (not recommended)

If you have been using Unity or GNOME in the past, you may not like the new customized GNOME desktop in Ubuntu 18.04. Ubuntu has customized GNOME so that it resembles Unity but at the end of the day, it is neither completely Unity nor completely GNOME.

So if you are a hardcore Unity or GNOMEfan, you may want to use your favorite desktop in its ‘real’ form. I wouldn’t recommend but if you insist here are some tutorials for you:

16. Can’t log in to Ubuntu 18.04 after incorrect password? Here’s a workaround

I noticed a little bug in Ubuntu 18.04 while trying to change the desktop session to Ubuntu Community theme. It seems if you try to change the sessions at the login screen, it rejects your password first and at the second attempt, the login gets stuck. You can wait for 5-10 minutes to get it back or force power it off.

The workaround here is that after it displays the incorrect password message, click Cancel, then click your name, then enter your password again.

17. Experience the Community theme (optional)

Ubuntu 18.04 was supposed to have a dashing new theme developed by the community. The theme could not be completed so it could not become the default look of Bionic Beaver release. I am guessing that it will be the default theme in Ubuntu 18.10.

Ubuntu Communitheme

You can try out the aesthetic theme even today. Installing Ubuntu Community Theme is very easy. Just look for it in the software center, install it, restart your system and then at the login choose the Communitheme session.

18. Get Windows 10 in Virtual Box (if you need it)

It’s not the best way but it still gives you an option. You can also use WINE to run Windows software on Linux. In both cases, I suggest trying the alternative native Linux application first before jumping to virtual machine or WINE.

19. Fixing minor annoyances in Ubuntu 18.04

As I started to use Ubuntu 18.04, I noticed a couple of things that I found irritating. I have covered these little issues and their fixes in separate articles. I am just going to list them down here with the correct links.

20. What do you do after installing Ubuntu?

Those were my suggestions for getting started with Ubuntu. There are many more tutorials that you can find under Ubuntu 18.04 tag. You may go through them as well to see if there is something useful for you.

Enough from my side. Your turn now. What are the items on your list of things to do after installing Ubuntu 18.04? The comment section is all yours.